A MOTHER, whose son is charged with her attempted murder, had a severe decline in her health in the days before she died, a court heard.
David McLean, a former Mayor of Winchester, is currently on trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with the attempted murder of his 92-year-old mother Margaret McLean. He denies the allegation.
The third day of the trial heard statements from carers and staff from Tru Caring Ltd. Mrs McLean had four care visits a day, with two carers in attendance at a time.
Prosecuting barrister Jodie Mittell read a statement from healthcare assistant Sarah Topham. She said: "Margaret was a lovely old lady and we got on well. She lived on her own with her cat.
READ MORE HERE: What has happened so far. Live blog on the trial
“In the weeks before she died, I noticed a severe decline in her health.”
When visiting on the morning of October 5 2022, the day before she died, Ms Topham said: "I was shocked by how much her health had declined from the previous day. It sounded like she had the death rattle. She didn't talk at all.
“It seemed obvious to me that she was nearing the end of her life.”
On her next visit on the day she died, Ms Topham said Mrs McLean's health had declined further. She contacted the Tru Caring office to ask them to contact her family.
A statement from office manager Karen Broadbent said: “I feel the family cared well for her and made sure she had all she needed.”
Another statement from healthcare assistant Shannon Treviss said: “My relationship with Margaret was very good. We always laughed and joked. She called me 'trouble'.
“There was a significant decline in her health over the last few weeks. It impacted her cognitive state. I found the news of her death very upsetting. I was asked to look after her cat which made me cry.”
Shannon's mother and fellow healthcare assistant Christine Treviss said she knew something was not right when she visited on October 4.
She added: “She stared at me in a blank manner and her hands were clenched into fists. I felt her family needed to be aware of my concerns.”
The trial continues.
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